the hottest tattooed women in film

feaTuring

CULTURE. STYLE. ART.

SEX
issue
sTarring plus:

The

jessie lee andy san dimas bonnie rotten

emma mae
chester bennington Louie vito hbos girls beLLator fighting coheed and cambria
february 2013 display until feb. 19

 erik ellington / lizard king / terry kennedy / tom penny / kevin romar Windsor James / spencer hamilton / boo Johnson / dane vaughn KR3WDENIM.COM

 ERIK ELLINGTON k-slim denim Jackal Woven outkast Jacket

table of contents
44 40 70 56 52

37

8 | INKEDMAG.COM

On the cover: EMMA MAE; photo: WARWICK SAINT; stylist: XINA GIATAS; hair: SEIJI at The Wall Group; makeup: QUINN MURPHY at Defacto; location: FAST ASHLEYS; Maison Close bra; stylists own shoes.

Natural American Spirit is a registered trademark of Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Co. SFNTC 1 2013

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Trial offer restricted to U.S. smokers 21 years of age or older. Offer void in MA and where prohibited. Additional restrictions may apply.

get your trial offer.

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@inkedmag

creative director editor photo editor digital imaging specialist contributing editor contributing market editor contributing copy editor fashion assistant

todd weinberger (@toddweinberger) rocky rakovic (@inkedfluencer) susan hennessey ilana glickman jennifer goldstein julie chen autumn whitefield-madrano bethany wolosky

contributing writers jonah bayer, matt bertz, richard bienstock, lani buess, charlie connell, jessica dolese, nick fierro, jeff harder, travis hatfield, nick hawk, meredith b. lindemon, gil macias, robert mccormick, hunter moore, nocturnia, melissa petro, kara pound, zak sabbath, rebecca swanner, tyler trykowski, suzanne weinstock klein contributing photographers hollis bennett, dustin cohen, colleen durkin, daniel edward, brandon flint, chad griffith, nathan harmon, chris hinkle, lara hotz, kimberly kane, natalia mantini, brian parks, lauren perlstein, brook pifer, brittany powell, warwick saint, gorman studio, victoria will interns liz bergesch, michele byrne, chelsey fredlund, nicole martino, kate sumpter

president publisher business development sales director of digital media and events web editor e-commerce manager senior programmer international licensing

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INKED, ISSN (1555-8630) Issue 52, is published monthly except combined issues in June/ July & Dec/Jan by Quadra Media, LLC 12 West 27th St, 10th floor, New York, NY 10001. Periodicals postage paid at New York, NY, and additional mailing offices. POstMAstEr: Send address changes to Inked Magazine, P.O. Box 8607, Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33310-9965.

ink well
2

We love love. It can make us feel euphoric and, at times, it can hurt just as much as a tattoo machine. But in honor of this month of heart-shaped boxes and red roses, weve decided to dive right past the dinner-and-movie courting phase and head straight to the sexwhich can also cause pleasure and pain. To kick things off we dispatched Tyler Trykowski (1) to a Chicago bars weekly Porn and Chicken party and arranged for Suzanne Weinstock Klein (2) to talk about awkward sex with Girls writer Leslie Arfin, who was photographed by Natalia Mantini (3). Other photographers who lent their skills to this issue were Brandon Flint (4), who shot a portrait of snowboarder Louie Vito, and Christopher Hinkle (5), the lensman who juxtaposed Linkin Parks colorful singer Chester Bennington with a stark background in Arizona. Richard Bienstock (6) then talked to Bennington about a superfan who has been copying his tattoos piece-by-piece. And Meredith B. Lindemon (7) asked Coheed and Cambrias frontman Claudio Sanchez about his bands latest comic-book-to-album creation. Now back to the sex. We heard that our readers appreciate sexy tattooed women. Well, we have pages and pages of them this month. Warwick Saint (8) shot our Inked Girl, Emma Mae, then kept the heat level high by delivering a 2013 installment of our pictorial on the hottest tattooed women of porn; this one features Bonnie Rotten, Cadence St. John, Andy San Dimas, and other adult-film goddesses. Youll likely recognize a name, a face, or a tattoo or two in the featureand if you say that you dont, youre only lying to yourself.

Rocky Rakovic Editor editor@inkedmag.com

12 | INKEDMAG.COM

mail
Love is not a game of Kat and Maus.

Kat von d and deadMau5 MeLinda PauLsen Everybody says couple tattoos are a jinx, and usually Im like F- that, thats so stupid. Im still getting one when I get married to my fiancafter what weve been through so far, its going to take a lot to jinx us. sParKy novacK Shes an amazing tattoo artist and shes got awesome style! Mac MiLLer sPencer hyPio Love the style of prison shading. russeLL siMMons Dudes got ballinass sleeves and hes a badass. Props to the Mill Man. Maria ediBLe isaac dave Those are the luckiest ketchup and mustard bottles in the world! victoria Weaver Her tattoos are awesome! I actually really like the back piece. eMii JduB shoW This is a dope article, girl. richard MiddLeton Why do I get the feeling she could kick my ass even in high heels? aLex McWatt eric daLMedo He did my Arsenal tattoo. Good dude and great work. travis BarKer charLie Porting People will judge you for having tattoos but people with tattoos will never judge for not having any. That man is a saint!

READER OF THE MONTH

AngelA & Jim sAunders McKinney, tx Want to be a Reader of the Month? E-mail photos to inkedgirl@inkedmag.com.

rescue, inc. A huge thank-you for printing the Underdogs article (December/ January issue). I have a pit bull rescue myself; she is my pride and joy. I suffer from so much criticism and judgment because I am heavily tattooed and I own a pit bull. Putting this article in the issue is showing the world that these dogs deserve a chance to be understood and cared about. Lauren hoeKstra Grand Rapids, MI

theyre BaaacK I saw that Kat Von D and Deadmau5 broke up, and then I saw that you put them on your cover. A few days after the issue came out they got back together! Maybe after reading your article they decided to work things out? saLLy hudson Los Angeles [Editors note: Yep, we take all the credit. In fact, if their first childs name isnt INKED well feel underappreciated.]

TATTOO OF THE MONTH

BY: josh woods at Black 13 tattoo Parlor, nashville, tn ON: stePh schweitzer

Write us. Got something to say? Send all praise, notes of complaint,
story suggestions, and other comments to letters@inkedmag.com. All submissions should include the writers name and address. Letters may be edited for clarity, length, and content. also join the party at facebook.com/inkedmag.

OuR Bad: We misidentified Kat Von Ds bracelet on our Dec/Jan cover. It is made by Alethea 1915, a cool independent jewelry company based in Vancouver.

14 | INKEDMAG.COM

KAT VON D AND DEADMAU5, DAN MONICK; ANGELA AND JIM SAUNDERS, AMANDA BRASWELL

Leave Kat and Mau5 aLone Relationships are for two [people] alone, and not a jury of peers. I can only imagine that a celeb couple has nothing but advice and criticism thrown at them constantly, so a happy partnership cant be easily obtained by any means! I love Kat, I love her spirit. Everybody deserves to be happily in love. Beth harris, Athens, AB

INKEd lIFE
news. drink. play.

Name: Kleio Valentien Occupation: porn star Hometown: Austin, TX My favorite tattoo is a black-and-gray floral piece that goes up my waist to the right side of my ribs. A good friend of mine, Ryan Dodson, who owns Freedom Machine Tattoo in Pflugerville, TX, had tattooed the left side of my head and my left calf. So when I decided to add to my tattoo collectionwhich now totals 18I sought out his expertise. Theres not a profound story behind my decision for this tattoo; Ryan and I just collaborated on a great idea. I love that I wouldnt change anything about this ink. It is a good thing when the outcome is as great as the vision because you live with that expression on your body forever. photo by chad griffith

MY FAVORITE INK

STylIng, beThAny woloSKy; MoDel'S own ShIRT; SeVen TIl MIDnIghT unDeRweAR.

February 2013 | 15

inked life | news

TATTOOIST BARREd FROM cAREER dAY

Florida tattoo artist walter Smith had planned to speak at Career Day at his daughters school, as he had for the past two years, but this year he was uninvited. Smith says the Clearwater Middle School principal e-mailed him that parents complained he was promoting an alternative lifestyle. Smith told his local AbC affiliate that he discouraged kids from getting tattoos before they turned 18 and promoted awareness of hygiene during his previous presentations. Teenagers are going to go out and do what they want, and Id rather educate them on how to make a wise decision, he said. when news spread, a teacher in ohio reached out to Smith and asked him to Skype his messages to her class.

ExIT ThROugh ThE gIFT ShOp

graffiti and tattoo artist Fuzi uVTPK is known for his ignorant style, which graces the streets of Paris, galleries such as le Salon, and now the rib cage of Scarlett Johansson. The starlet visited his art exhibition and walked away with a permanent souvenir. Fuzis artistic horseshoe nicely complements the soft features of its wearerquite the lucky lady.

30%

of Americans with tattoos say that the ink makes them feel sexy, according to a Harris Poll.

16 | INKeDMaG.COM

CAR, FRAzeR hARRISon

To set the mood for the release of Gangster Squad, a 40s- and 50s-era noir film starring Sean Penn, Ryan gosling, and emma Stone, warner brothers asked tattoo artist Mister Cartoon to customize a period car. being able to connect a lowrider to a hollywood film is the best, Cartoon says. warner brothers let me do what I wanted to do and mural my 39 Chevrolet. This movie documents a beautiful era for both cars and fashion in los Angeles history. I was raised around Chevys from the 30s, 40s, and 50s, and my father tested me on the different eras of cars body linesthats how important car culture is in los Angeles.

FIlM VEhIclE

inked life | drink

cOcKTAIl cONVERSATION
A chat with Mandi Mae Black inked: what are your favorite tattoos? Mandi Mae black: Theres twoI have Maneater across my knuckles. Im a big hall and oates fan, and when I had the idea I said, how can I not get this now that Ive thought of it? The other is on the inside of my arm, an old perfume bottle with the god Pan on it, from one of my favorite books, Tom Robbinss Jitterbug Perfume. It stands for forever young, immortalitythat one means a lot. where and when do you like to go into the shop? oddly enough, I always end up getting tattooed when Im really hung over. I guess Im a glutton for punishment, or it makes it seem more bearable. Certain days when Im hung over Ill be like, I need to go out and get a tattoo today. Most of mine were done by Jason hoodrich at Taylor Street Tattoo. what does it take to throw a party like porn and chicken? having a good core of people around you is importantSRTb is really a family and we rely on each other a lot, and that extends to the partygoers too. we kind of just fell into this, and weve continued to just do what we want to do. never listen to anyone who says you cant do something. They said we couldnt have a fire performer at evil olive; they said we couldnt bring a motorcycle out onto the dance floorwell, we can and we did. Though there were a lot of fumes when we did that, we didnt think about that. F I R E F lY S W E E T T E A V O d K A The preferred beverage to wash down fried chicken is sweet tea so saccharine it makes your teeth hurt. Fireflys vodka version is so sneaky good you forget it contains alcohol.

blacks heart.

NAKEd lAdIES NIghT

while Porn and Chicken may sound like a pathetic day at a frat house, its not. heres what youll find outside evil olive, a tiny bar in Chicagos ukrainian Village, on any given Monday night: girls writhing buck naked in cages or dancing on every elevated surface within reach, a leather-clad burlesque queen grinding sparks and breathing fire, more breasts bared per square inch than bourbon Street, revelers with costumes and dance moves that defy physics, motorcycles revved out onto the dance floor, porn on every TV, and fried chicken in every hand. locals call this party Porn and Chicken. Tourists might call it illegal. Amazingly, its notthe partys been getting legitimately wilder by the week for two years running.

Porn and Chicken is (what it sounds like and) the tastiest bar promotion in Chicagoyou better bring your appetitie.
Sweet-faced, sharp-tongued, tattooed vixen Mandi Mae black is the cofounder and cohost of the affair. She and her crew call themselves SRTb, for So Ready to bang, and despite the fact that half their nights end in memory loss, their unforgettable antics have secured their reputation as Chicagos most deranged merrymakers this side of Prohibition. Their party has been voted Chicagos best two years in a row by readers of Chicago Reader, and for good reason. In the words of black herself: Porn and Chicken isnt about, well, porn and chicken. Thats there. but this isnt just some in-your-face dance partyits an experience. Tyler Trykowski

MAKERS MARK Im a whiskey girl; I love bourbon, more specifically, says Black. I dont do mixed drinks behind the bar because I do so many shots of whiskey. A girl who takes her shot with a beer? Thats our kind of gal.

SESSION pREMIuM lAgER The stout little bottles are reminiscent of Red Stripe, but the amazing brew on the inside makes that Jamaican beer taste like Bob Marleys bathwater. The sharpness really cuts through greasy fried chicken.

18 | INKeDMaG.COM

photo by Colleen DuRKIn

inked life | View

Clockwise from above: Estrella; Flamingo (cyclops to the right by abstrak); Caiubi; portrait of Tatiana Suarez; Tiburon Love.

ThE EYES hAVE IT

Tatiana Suarezs lovely ladies enchant.
when people ask what I paint, I like to tell them, critters and curvas, says Miami native, brooklynbased artist Tatiana Suarez. In Spanish, curvas basically translates to a woman with curves, and Suarezs sexual, surreal creatures have plenty of them. The heroines of Suarezs work are women

with exaggerated features (pouty lips and enormous doe eyes) and long necks, usually propped with butterflies and owlseven a kookaburraand ornamented with fruit, leaves, flowers, sand dollars, bubble-gum balls, and, more recently, tattoos. A graduate of the university of Miami with a bFA in graphic design, Suarez works in oils, watercolors, and graphite on everything from wood and paper to machetes and skateboard decks. Shes been getting into mural work too, with her exotic yet sometimes creepy characters gracing cement walls from Miami to the bronx. I have a bunch of friends in the graffiti scene who had been pushing me to get my art on the walls, and I finally did during Miami Art basel in 2009, Suarez explains. My paintings are heav-

ily influenced by naturebringing them outdoors is almost necessary. At just 29 years old, Suarez has become a regular on the themed group show circuit from washington, D.C. to San Francisco to Delaware, displaying her treatment of pop culture icons including Mia wallace (uma Thurmans character in Pulp Fiction) and Margot Tenenbaum (gwyneth Paltrows character from The Royal Tenenbaums)around the country. Similar to her painted ladies, Suarez lives for ornamentation. but she leaves the artistry up to someone elsemore specifically, Javier betancourt out of Miami. Ive always been getting tattooed, she admits. but at the end of last year, I finally got sleeved. Kara Pound

20 | INKeDMaG.COM

SuARez, eDDy Angel

inked life | spend

cENT-IpAd
Play Centipede, Tempest, Asteroids, or your favorite coin-op game the way it was meant to be played with iCade ($100, ion audio.com) for your iPad.

Buzz OFF
The lifeStyles A:Muse Personal Pleasure Massager ($21, walgreens.com) was one of the first of its kind to hit drugstore shelvesfor spontaneous fun.

dEuTSchE BOARd
The incomparable tattooer eddy Deutsche made a limited run of 333 decks featuring this kimonoed terror for San Franciscobased grinders Krooked Skateboards ($50, your local skate shop).

glASS JAW
The gama-go bite Me bottle opener ($10, wonderlandla.net) works on bottles of beer or True blood.

with candelabras on its post corners, the Medieval bed ($2,800 for queen, rockstarfurniture.net) looks like something out of an MTV spin-off of Cribs called Lairs.

BEd ROcK

22 | INKeDMaG.COM

zIp-up
Cockpit uSA combines two great icons of the 40s with their las Vegas lady A-2 good luck Pin-up Jacket ($640, cockpitusa.com).

BEAuTIFul dOll
The belladonna love Doll is an inflatable representation of the star sporting three of her tattoos along with her visage ($22, funlove.com).

TATTOO SlEEVE
For perhaps the one place on your body without ink, one Tantric Pleasures has a line of tattoo-inspired textured condoms ribbed in Maori and tribal patterns (12 for $12, onecondoms.com).

dARK TOWER
Phoebe Richardsons bone china mugs (4 for about $87, farfetch.com) form a skeleton when stacked.

FEEdBAcK
For those about to snack out of this Marshall Amp Fridge ($300, marshallfridge. com), we salute you.

February 2013 | 23

inked life | look

INK ON ThE STREET

SuBJEcT: lawson Rhys Taylor SpOTTEd: west Village, new york City WhERE hE gETS INKEd: everywhere, but his favorite piece is by Kiwi Damo, who was working on the gold Coast in Australia at the time. Damo inked a portrait of Taylors grandmother inside a rope chain, on his inner forearm. It means that Im never alone when Im traveling the world, says Taylor. WhAT hES WEARINg: black Scale XX Jacket ($140) and blvck Ring Rose gold ($65, black-scale.com). BRANd BAcKSTORY: If there is any group that wears more black than the inked it would be the clergybut its a close contest. San Francisco-based clothing line black Scale (often seen as blvck Scvle) stays true to their name by using mainly a pallete devoid of color. Instead they let their shapes, the scale part, create the styling. by cutting silhouettes from slim-fitting jackets to the oversized shirts that have become de rigueur in the urban landscape, they straddle the tastes of hipsters and hip-hoppers. with an accessories line, collaborations with new era and Stssy, and an A$AP Mob collection, black Scale is on the streets and on the map. WhAT ElSE hES WEARINg: The hundreds vest and shirt; levis jeans; Clarks shoes.

24 | INKeDMaG.COM

photo by DAnIel eDwARD

inked life | play

<| FEATuRE <| BOOK

do you think youll stick with acting? I have four movies coming out next year. So Im still working. I really enjoy it. I get to play bad guys now, which is awesome, because Im all tatted up now. For me, its a lot more interesting than playing the good boy next door. I always wanted to play the bad guy but I was always cast as the Goody Two-shoes. So now I get to play all those wonderfully cool parts I always wanted to play when I was a kid. in addition to getting tattooed, we hear you do some tattooing as well. My ex-wife is a tattoo artist. I did an apprenticeship under her for a while. I tattooed for two or three years.

Its NOt a MaNs WOrld

Margot Mifflins newest edition of Bodies of Subversion: A Secret History of Women and Tattoo pays rightful homage to the foremothers of tattoos and highlights modern goddesses. From Maud Wagner, Betty Broadbent, and Lady Viola to Kat Von D, it tells the complete story of feminism and tattooing. As others debatedand still debate what women can and cant do to their bodies forever, these ladies took control. Jessica Dolese
<| dVd

cOMEBAcK STORY
The last time you saw Noah Hathaway was probably as Atreyu in The Neverending Story, but the 80s child actor who left Hollywood on his own terms is about to make a comeback with the gritty crime thriller Sushi Girl.
<| MOVIES

inked: what was it that brought you back to film? hathaway: I got a Facebook e-mail from a producer saying theyd love for me to do this movie with Mark Hamill, Tony Todd, and Sonny Chiba.

Sonny Chiba, for me, is what did it. Im a lifelong martial artist. For me it was one of the closest things to working with Bruce Lee. We Skyped an audition and I was on a plane six hours later.

will you tattoo again? I get asked all the time. I think the only way I would start doing it again is if I did a mini-apprenticeship for a couple of months to get clean and sharp again, which Id absolutely love to do. I love tattooing. Gil Macias

A gOOd dAY TO dIE hARd

yippee-ki-yay, motherfuckers! we got a new Die Hard filma fifth entry, to be exact. This time, our beloved John McClane (bruce willis) finds himself on foreign soil for the very first time, after traveling to Moscow to help his son Jack (Jai Courtney). unbeknownst to McClane, Jack is secretly a highly trained CIA operative on a mission to put an end to a nuclear weapons heist. of course, the Russian underworld is on their tail, pending doom lurks, and the clock is ticking, so its up to the father-son duo to save the day. what better father and son quality time? G.M.

WARM BOdIES
heres a zombie movie with a unique comedy-romance-horror twist. Set in a world filled with zombies and human survivors, an unusual zombie by the name of R (nicholas hoult) rescues a girl named Julie (Teresa Palmer) during a zombie attack. It seems R is a unique zombie exhibiting a form of intelligence and feelings (think bub from Day of the Dead). Julie sees that R is different, and the two form a special relationship. As R becomes increasingly more human, a romance with Julie evolves as the two fight for survival while their world changes. Jonathan levine (50/50) directs. G.M.

BullET TO ThE hEAd

Sylvester Stallone (Rambo, The Expendables) plays Jimmy bobo, a rugged new orleans hit man who crosses paths with washington, D.C. detective Taylor Kwon (Sung Kang), a younger, by-the-book type. but the unlikely pair have something in common: The same man killed both their partners. The two form an alliance to take down the killer and his employers. Things get even more personal when Jimmys daughter is held hostage by the baddies. Jason Momoa (Conan the Barbarian) and Christian Slater (TVs Breaking In) also star. walter hill (Last Man Standing) directs. G.M.

SINISTER
After a slew of recent crappy horror films (The Apparition, The Possession), along came Sinister, one of the few to get it right. ethan hawke stars in this chilling tale about a true crime writer researching the disappearance of a girl after her entire family was brutally murdered. The writer moves his own family into the very same house the murders took place in to conduct his work. wTF? Fucked-up home movies are discovered, and not long after is when the demonic shit gets real. Dont watch it alone. The blu-ray contains deleted scenes, commentaries, and two featurettes. G.M.

26 | INKeDMaG.COM

inked life | play

<| VIdEO gAMES

ThE
dEAd SpAcE 3

plAYlIST
by jonah bayer

PLATFoRMS: PS3, XBoX 360, PC

For the third entry in this sci-fi horror series, developer Visceral games takes a page out of the Star wars playbook and heads to a frozen planet. Though hes still fighting his own personal demons, Isaac Clarke journeys to this ice rock with a promise to eliminate the necromorph scourge once and for all. with Sergeant John Carver riding shotgun, you can face deadly abominations with the help of a co-op buddy for the first time in the series. The cooperative nature robs the game of some of the atmospheric suspense, but Dead Space 3 makes up for it with blood-pumping action. To survive these dangerous encounters, we recommend scavenging the environment for weapon mods you can use to create new superweapons tailor-made to your play style. play if you like: Aliens, Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, The Thing Matt Bertz

|> ThE EVENS WANTEd cRIMINAlS Minor Threat frontman Ian MacKaye continues to craft innovative punk rock, and this tune is no exception. FIONA ApplE dull TOOl Fiona Apples distinctive voice shines on this orchestral masterpiece. BAd BRAINS INTO ThE FuTuRE This progressive punk track shows these hardcore innovators still arent done evolving. ThE BRONx RIBcAgE The bronxs brand of raging rock keeps growing better and more nuanced with age. dEFTONES TEMpEST A moody mid-tempo number, this track is classic Deftones. we missed them. WORKOuT BON VOYAgE The brooklyn-based band channels classic David bowie during this tuneful homage to a fallen friend. ThE MOWglIS SAN FRANcIScO no matter how bad your day is, The Mowglis brand of upbeat pop will put a smile on your face. NEuROSIS AT ThE WEll They turn down the distortion and manage to somehow sound even heavier on this 10-minute-long opus. JENNY OWEN YOuNgS pIRATES If you think a love song cant be innovative, you havent heard this brutally honest anthem.

AlIENS: cOlONIAl MARINES

NI NO KuNI: WRATh OF ThE WhITE WITch

PLATFoRMS: PS3, XBoX 360, PC

Touted as the true sequel to James Camerons Aliens and a follow-up to Aliens 3, Colonial Marines places you and three friends on the search and rescue team investigating the disappearance of ellen Ripley and her ship crew. A sinister corporation desperate to uncover alien artifacts is attempting to cover up the destruction of the nearby space colony, but the real enemies are the Xenomorphs waiting to burst from darkened hallways and the stomachs of your comrades. once you exterminate as many aliens as possible, become one of the grotesque creatures yourself in the left 4 Dead-style escape mode that pits a group of players against a horde of human-controlled extraterrestrials. play if you like: Prometheus, Dead Space, left 4 Dead M.B.

PLATFoRM: PS3
how do you resuscitate the shrinking Japanese role-playing-game market? enlist the help of Studio ghibli, the famed creators of celebrated anime movies such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Ponyo. ni no Kuni combines the gorgeous art direction of the ghibli films with classic turn-based role-playing battles reminiscent of the early DragonQuest games. After a 13-year-old boy named oliver loses his mother, he journeys to a magical alternate universe with his magical doll, Drippy, in hopes of finding her. Along the journey, oliver meets many new companions who help him come to grips with the cold realities of the world and ease his transition into adulthood. play if you like: Spirited Away, Dark Cloud, DragonQuest M.B.

28 | INKeDMaG.COM

SOME PEOPLE JUST GET IT

www.bdck.us

inked life | groom

ThE hAIR dOWN ThERE

A pro says theres no shame in maintaining the mankini region.

After watching women maintain the pubic region for years, there for the grace of god go men. For those who want to attempt the close shave, heavy hitter and veteran manscaper Marcus london, of the adult films Masseuse 3, My Mothers Best Friend 6, and the impressive Spartacus MMXII, has some words of wisdom. I was shaving my junk 10 years before I got any ink, he says. I started grooming the old twig and berries when I was in my early 20s, generally because I was having a lot of sex and felt it needed a tidy up. but I really started to get creative in my late 20s once I became a male stripperMagic Mike-style. grooming your groin has benefits, london says. If a man has his bits trimmed and in good order, a woman is bound to go the extra mile. Much like the hair upstairs, the hair below comes back quickly, so if you choose the bare route youll need almost daily upkeep. First, london suggests giving it a wash, then breaking out the razor and the shave gel or, better yet, shaving oil (you can see what you are shaving, he says). his order of business: get the balls done nice, then the shaft. last, I do the pubic hair above the junk with an electric beard shaver. whatever routine you choose to embark on, tread slowly. even a pro like london admits, yes, Ive had a few close calls down by the balls. Robert McCormick BRAuN cRuzER5 BOdY This tool ($45, braun.com) is made for the job: You can toggle between trimming and shaving, and the long, slim handle is designed for easy manipulation when working on hard-to-reach places. NOxzEMA BIKINI ShAVER Yes, these razors ($3, walgreens.com) are meant for a womans bikini line, but until the male market catches up, theyll do. The head is smaller than a regular razors, for nooks and crannies. ThE ART OF ShAVINg ShAVINg cREAM Its what this lubricant ($25, theartofshaving. com) doesnt have that makes it ideal for the boys. Its low on tingles and theres no scent, so you dont end up smelling like a potpourri dish. BAdgER BAlM BABY OIl After one (gentle) pass through shaving cream, redo the area using Badger Balm Baby oil ($16, badgerbalm.com); its translucence allows you see what you are doing, for more intricate work.
STylIST, beThAny woloSKy; MAKeuP, STePhAnIe PeRez; MAKeuP ASSISTAnT, VeRonICA Velez; hAIR, SARA AShAnTI; hAIR ASSISTAnT, zACK AlMog; PRoP STylIng, Abbey howARTh; MoDel, SISSy yee; FAbelS by bARRIe ToP

you can make a heart, you can make a landing strip, you can go bare

30 | INKeDMaG.COM

photo by DuSTIn Cohen

inked life | go
<| BEST dIVE BAR Steer clear of corporate establishments and park your ass on a stool at Judge Roy beans, (2780 Tapo Canyon Rd., b4). The local dive bar pours beer just as good as the next place, but, Sinn says, Its dirty and divey and a lot of fun. Drinks are cheap, and select nights bring about karaoke, live bands, and a good-looking staff who are likely to pound back a shot with you.

SIMI VAllEY, cA
Welcome to Sinn City.

Residents of Simi Valley think its a nicer place to play and work than its western neighbor, the San Fernando Valley (which has earned the nickname Porn Valley due to the number of adult films shot there). Simi is home to The Tattoo Room (2315 Kuehner Dr., Suite 111), where artist Heather Sinn, who was featured on the first season of Spike TVs Ink Master, hangs her shingle alongside partner Danielle oberosler and tattooists Hana Li Tek and Jack Mosher Fujisaki (formerly of Kat Von Ds High Voltage Tattoo). If youre like the Tattoo Room artists and their clients who dont want to deal with Tinsel Town, check out Sinns recommendations and skirt the city. Jessica Dolese

|> plAcE TO gET pOKEd After sticking people all day, Sinn likes to unwind by being stuck herself. She swears by acupuncturist lin lin li heine at yin yang Acupuncture (2315 Kuehner Dr., Suite 113). She has helped me immensely with my eyestrain and neck pain, says Sinn. by all accounts, Dr. lin is a miracle worker, and shell leave you feeling better than you did after your last hour under the gun. <- WhERE lOOKS cOuNT get your hair west Coast customized at P!ay hair lounge (2315 Kuehner Dr., Suite 109). The atmosphere of the salon, owned by brig Van osten, winner of bravos Shear Genius season three, is tattoo-friendly. And certainly ask for Sinns stylist, Aly Frank, who is adept at re-creating dos of yore (like, before the faux hawk).

|> TRAIl TO TRY hummingbird Trail (Rocky Peak Park) is just the place to clear your head and smell clean air and flowers. we have a spectacular view of it from our shop window, Sinn says. Its a great bike or hiking trailits very breathtaking. how breathtaking? It has a unique history, says Sinn. Im told that Creature From the Black Lagoon was shot there, and it was a favorite spot for filming old westerns.

32 | INKeDMaG.COM

SAwASDee ThAI, JuDge Roy beAnS, P!Ay hAIR lounge, JohAnnA Deeb; ACuPunCTuRe, FRAnK FAlAT; SIMI VAlley SCenIC, bIg SToCK PhoTo; SInn, AleXAnDeR hoPKInS

|> BEST plAcE TO FIll up Sawasdee Thai Food (1960 Sequoia Ave.) puts outs inexpensive staples with such a kick that you know the cooks know their way around spice racks. They have a great vegan and vegetarian menu, which makes my tummy happy, says Sinn. Try a curry dish or the buffalo wings (yes, a Thai place that does wingsyou can thank us later).

inked life | driVe

Clockwise from below: Classic Vans Chevy Conversion Van; Hot Tug; Coachman Luxury Transports party bus; bed in V8 Hotel.

ShAggIN WAgON OVERhAul

There are chick-magnet cars, and then there are vehicles that also offer a place to do something after you have a womans attention.

Cars are sexy, and its not hard to see why. Theyre tough on the outside, soft in the interior, theyre curvy, and they purr. The problem is that the most attractive modes of transport are also inevitably uncomfortable when you finally arrive at Make out overlook. here are our favorites rides that offer more (room) inside. Sorry, Astro van with the airbrushed Amazon riding a Pegasus, you did not make the cut. cONVERSION VAN our go-to: The Chevy Conversion Van by Classic Vans is just as comfortable at the drive-in as it is on a campground or the open road. what sets this particular luxury liner apart from the Vans of hookups Past is the layout. with its overstuffed leather seating and huge fold-down flat-screen, it looks like a cross between a screening room and a cabin on a private jet, but with a smoother ride. pARTY BuS live on long Island, ny? Coachman luxury Transports 42-passenger party bus is a rolling champagne room that you can rent for the night. leather bench seats? Check. Flat-screens? Check. light-up dance floor? Check. Two stripper poles?

Double check. If you dont live on long Island, check your local yelp and let the good times roll. hOT Tug If there were an award ceremony with the category Thing we Should have Thought of Sooner, we would wait with bated breath for hot Tugs acceptance speech. This vessel is the brainchild of Dutch artist and engineer Frank de bruijn, and if theres one thing the Dutch know how to do, its have a good time. The genius is in its simplicity: a carbon-fiber watercraft that can seat eight of your very closest friends, be filled with water, and heated with nothing more than the on-board woodburning stove. Its hot. V8 hOTEl whats sexier than a vintage car? A vintage car bed. For those not content to live a life without at least a base coat of childlike wonder, we submit to you the V8 hotel, a four-star combo of cars, kitsch, and class from Stuttgart, germany. with themed rooms ranging from a car wash to a campground to a racing room complete with a firstplace podium, the V8 is exceptional without taking itself too seriously. Das ist gut. Nick Fierro

34 | INKeDMaG.COM

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inked people
writer. sci-fi band. mma fighter.

I thInk Its really Important to fInally show real gIrls wIth real bodIes havIng sex.
LesLey Arfin, writer for gIrls

photo by NATALIA MANTINI

february 2013 | 37

inked people

lesley Arfin

The writer on HBOs cultural phenomenon is one of the real-life Girls.

Anyone who has watched Girls wont be surprised that Lesley Arfin is as funny, self-deprecating, and brutally honest as the show she helps write. Now beginning its second season, Girls, led by star and head writer Lena Dunham, follows four 20-something women in Brooklyn as they navigate the awkwardness of early adulthood. Arfin has her own early career to use as inspiration. She got her start as an awful intern at Vice magazine, where she brought back a defunct column called Dear Diary, which, after five years, she turned into a book of the same name in 2007. Then nothing happened, says Arfin. I was freelancing for magazines, copywriting, collecting unemployment. I went to India, I worked for a while at a magazine called Missbehave that folded. And then I saw [Lena Dunhams film] Tiny Furniture. Arfin and Dunham began a Twitter friendship, and when Arfin got word that Dunham was writing Girls for HBO, she submitted a hastily written pilota darker, punk rock Hannah Montana kind of thing. Hired, she gravitates toward writing for the Girls wild-child character, Jessa, and Dunhams character, Hannah. Jessa has a do-whatever-you-want-and-dealwith-the-consequences-later kind of attitude, says Arfin. If Im not like that, maybe I used to be like thator I wish I was more like that. Its fun to write someone who will try anything once. And its easy for me to identify with Hannah. I really relate to her overinflated ego and her anxiety over guys. Arfins affinity for Hannah extends to the shows sex scenes, which are talked about both for their awkwardness and their showcasing of Dunhams imperfect naked body. If its controversial, its only because people cant deal with their own realities about their own sex life, says Arfin. I think its really important to finally show real girls with real bodies having sex. I always found that, for me, sex could be really good but really awkward at the same time, and I thought my sexual experiences were wrong based on what I saw in TV and movies. Its refreshing to watch these girls and think, Oh my God, this is gross but I also like it. Hannahs sex scenes have also made Dunhams plentiful tattoos a prominent presence on the show, and body adornment is something Arfin shares. Eclectic is a mild way to describe her work, done mostly by Michelle Tarantelli at Saved, in Brooklyn. The story of her ink is best told in her own words: I have a baby riding a swan and crying. I dont know why shes crying. She just doesnt like riding the swan. And I have a baby in a banana. I have a Germ circle, which is really stupid. The Germs are this band and its just a blue circle on my arm that looks like a doughnut and makes my arm look fat and I hate it. I have my old cats name tattooed on me. I have Long Island, New York City. I have hearts on my fingers. I have a blank banner, and I let people write stuff into it at parties. And I have my fathers name tattooed on mewhich is Duke, but everyone thinks it says Dyke, which doesnt bother me. Its hard to hear about Arfins love-hate relationship with her tattoos and not notice the parallel to the life experiences depicted in Girls. Its kind of like the best part of getting a tattoo is hating it, Arfin says. I got all of these tattoos at different points in my life and its really unrealistic for me to think Im going to go through every day of my entire life not regretting at least one of them. Theyre a part of me, and Ive made this decision and I can regret it, and I can live with that regret. Suzanne Weinstock Klein

photo by NATALIA MANTINI

february 2013 | 39

From left: Travis Stever, Claudio Sanchez, Zach Cooper, Josh Eppard.

inked people

Coheed And CAmbriA

Drawing from frontman Claudio Sanchezs sci-fi comic book series, the band jams planet rock.
With popular interest growing in the book-to-series fantasy genre (Game of Thrones, American Gods, Twilight), music has been no slouch. New Yorkbased rock outfit Coheed and Cambria have been putting out concept music based on comic series for more than a decade, and fans anticipating their next installment have to wait no longer: The second part of The Afterman hits this month. The first part, The Afterman: Ascension (released October 2012), was the bands sixth studio album and the prequel to the story line of the comic book series The Amory Wars, by Coheed frontman Claudio Sanchez. The series follows the life and times of Sirius Amory, a cosmonaut presumed dead by his wife after the crash of his ship. Ascension focuses on the protagonists rise into space, where he gets caught in a gaseous ether and discovers the Keywork, a valuable energy source. The new release, The Afterman: Descension, picks up where Ascension left off. Descension documents Siriuss return planet-side, says Sanchez. He must not only figure out how to share his discovery with the world, but more importantly, how to pick up the pieces with a wife who has already buried him and moved on. These consecutive albums offer listeners a sonic adventure that takes them through Amorys ascent to space and his descent back to earth. The symbolic return trip is his fallin every way possible, says Sanchez. As the story has progressed, so has Coheed and Cambrias sound. We are constantly making progress, challenging ourselves and growing, says Sanchez. What makes Coheed the band that it is, is the variation in our music. The band has been consistently classified as prog rock with heavy references to Rush, but Sanchez says the band cant be categorized: Our music is [also] compared to Michael Jackson, or R&B, or pop just as much, if not more, than progressive. Ascension made its debut at number five in Billboards Top 200, and Descension may make an even bigger splash. I am continually surprised at the level in which this band and The Amory Wars continues to grow, says Sanchez. We put so much work into the story and the comics, and try to give our fans as much as they give us. For devotees of the albums and comic book series, the next logical step is a filmand fans can rejoice that its on its way; Evil Ink Comics announced that Mark Wahlberg will serve as producer. We cant wait to see how the story unfolds. Meredith B. Lindemon
HOLLIS BENNETT/WONDERFuL MACHINE

february 2013 | 41

inked people

ben sAunders
The Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight has a tattoo of a samurai and the heart of a warrior.
When he was 14, Ben Saunders worked at McDonalds for as many hours as child labor laws allowed. His slim paycheckshe says he made as little as $4.30 an hourpaid for lessons in Jeet Kune Do, the martial arts system founded by his idol, Bruce Lee. Now, as a Bellator Fighting Championships welterweight with a 14-5-2 mixed martial arts record (as of press time), the 29-year-old Saunders has made a career in sanctioned violence. Even if he only earns enough to get by, thats fine with him. I dont need crazy money, he says. Even if I lived in my gym, thatd be cool as hell. The laughter that breaks up his sentences is at odds with the person Saunders becomes inside the cage, an aggressive, rangy fighter equally skilled at ending a fight with knees in the clinch or by sinking chokes. After gaining fame on The Ultimate Fighter reality TV show in 2007, Saunders fought in the ultimate Fighting Championship and earned a 4-3 record before signing with Bellator in 2011. In January 2013, as Bellator makes its Spike TV debut, Saunders enters a tournament of contenders vying for a shot at the organizations welterweight title. Its a format that Saunders knows well; he fought in two previous Bellator tournaments, coming up short on both occasions. But hes ready to go through the grind again. Im hoping to go through this tournament the same way I went through the other ones, and thats pretty much coming out injury-free, trying to take some heads offand trying to turn some heads, maybe, pull off some unique stuff that people have maybe never seen before, he says. The Florida-based athlete has long trained with American Top Team, home to countless high-level MMA fighters, but you might not know it to look closely at his right arm. When Saunders first entered MMA competition, he was training with Gracie Barra, and he used the purse from his first bout to get a tattoo of the Gracie Jiu-Jitsu G logo. A year later, he left the gym on amicable terms. The tattoo brings back memories of where I came from, how I got brought upeven the history of MMA in Orlando, he says. Weve got quite a few places here now, but originally there was nothing. As MMA continues to grow, Saunders says his goals are to live by a warriors principlesthe same principles that inspired the samurai and dragon tattoos elsewhere on his bodyto become a champion, and then to train a new generation of champions to take his place. Im building a rsum that I can utilize once I choose to either hang em up or take a break, Saunders says. Because, after all, fighting sure beats flipping burgers. Jeff Harder

42 | INKeDMaG.COM

photo by BROOK PIFER

E M M A M AE

PHOTOS BY WAR W ICK SAIN T

Previous page: Maison Close bra. This page: Clo Intimo bra and underwear; Wendy Mink ring; stylists own shoes.

Playful Promises bra; Guess heels.

I n a d u lt v I d e o s , e m m a m a e I s s t r I k I n g ly b l o n d a n d t a t t o o e d , with few inhibitions and plenty of colorful, artful ink that pops off the screen. But at our New York City cover shoot, the enchanting star who walked into the studio was a shy brunette. Im over blond, says Emma Mae, minutes after she was mistaken, due to her hair color and demeanor, for an assistant on set. But when she stepped in front of the camera, she turned it on. Her personality lights up a room and she radiates a playful, sexy energy. Emma Maes first tattoothe bottom half of her right legwas inspired by her mothers Japanese heritage, and she got it a month after she turned 18 from Big Al, at Family First in Wilmington, NC. I go in to see him with a vague idea and he takes my idea and creates an entire piece of art from it, she says. Ive always been an artist, so I view my tattoos as works of art. The small-town Southern girl who became a big-time porn star stumbled into the business a couple years ago after contacting a Miami agency on a whim. They flew her out the next day and she began to workand, yes, she

does consider it work. Those were long daysand I paid taxes, she says. Today, shes in semi-retirement, although she is still doing webcam videos and thoroughly enjoying it. But if she gets into filming again, she says she would prefer girl-on-girl scenes (she likes to hook up with women, but dates guys long-term). Right now, she says her simple North Carolina life just doesnt require the money, which is what initially drew her to join the industry. I didnt always look like this, Emma Mae says. I was super skinny in high school, and even now Im not that into myself. While she has grown into a smoldering woman, she hasnt lost her awkward teenage self. I am really goofy and a total tomboy, says Emma Mae. As approachable as she may be in person, most men would probably find competing for the attention of a porn star woefully daunting. But this grounded skin queen isnt looking for someone who can match her star power and downright mesmerizing looks. If Im going to date someone, Im more likely to date them based on their personality, she says. Jessica Dolese

february 2013 | 47

Clo Intimo bra; stylists own shoes.

Maison Close bra and underwear.

Maison Close bra; Wendy Mink ring; Boutique 9 shoes. Stylist: Xina Giatas Stylist assistant: Brianna Moon Hair: Seiji at The Wall Group Makeup: Quinn Murphy at Defacto Location: Fast Ashleys

february 2013 | 51

Whats that shit on your fucking arm?

Chester Benningtons dad was pissed. His son had made a promise to wait until at least his 18th birthday before getting a tattooand here it was, not long after that day, that the younger Bennington strolled home with his first bit of ink, a Pisces on his left shoulder. For his father, it was not so much the image itself that set him off, but rather what tattoos in general symbolized. My dad was a police officer in Arizona and so his experiences with people with tattoos was different, recalls the now 36-year-old Bennington. To him, they were something associated with shitty peopleconvicts and criminals and guys in gangs. And he didnt want his son to be like that. But Im from a different time and I see it differently. To me, its a way to be free and to not be confined by what society thinks you should or shouldnt do. Its a way to express yourself. And so the 18-year-old Bennington expressed himself with a big, colorful fish, which spurred the aforementioned interrogation from his father. I responded, Its a tattoo, recalls Bennington, stating the obvious. And he said, You know that will never come off. You wanna be stuck with that for your whole life? Bennington laughs. And I was 18 years old and defiant and so I went, Yeah! Youre fucking right I do! Almost 20 years later, Bennington now has many tattooswhen asked for an exact count, he responds, I think the technical term is a lot. He is hardly a convict or criminal, but rather the frontman for Linkin Park, one of the most successful rock acts of the 2000s. The bands debut album, 2000s Hybrid Theory, which spawned hit singles like One Step Closer and Crawling, established them as a leader in the then-burgeoning nu metal movement (a categorization they have come to despise). It also laid the groundwork for a career of massive proportions. In a world where music seems to have an ever-decreasing role, both financially and in terms of cultural influence, Linkin Park still fills sheds in the U.S. and plays to huge crowds overseas. They also still sell records: To date, Hybrid Theory has moved more than 10 million units domestically and ranks among the top 10 bestselling releases of the first decade of the millennium. The band has released four studio albums since that colossal debut, including last summers Living Things. Their latest record follows on the heels of two efforts, 2007s Minutes to Midnight and 2010s A Thousand Suns, both of which, though successful, also signaled a shift away from the sound that had first made them superstars. In place of thick, down-tuned riffs and baldly angstfilled lyrics, they wrote more impressionistic songs that incorporated electronic soundscapes, textured guitars, and snippets of speeches from Martin Luther King, Jr., and Mario Savio within stories about the end of the world. Everything about

our sound that people thought was nu metal, we wanted to kill it dead, Bennington says. They did, but perhaps at the expense of some of the potent energy that had once defined the band. This has been corrected on Living Things. Case in point is the albums first single, Burn It Down, which uses a propulsive rhythm as the foundation for a towering guitar-and-synth wall of sound, over which Bennington lays one of his trademark hooky vocal melodies. Its catchy but not pandering, rocking but not simplistic. The fact that the record is reminding people of the earlier Linkin Park sound is exciting to a lot of our fans because theyve been kind of wondering if that was ever going to come back, Bennington says. But theyre also happy that its not exactly like what we did before. It might make people think of Hybrid Theory, but its not Hybrid Theory. Bennington acknowledges that the specter of that album looms large. He even has the winged soldier image from its cover art tattooed on his left leg. He also has one other tattoo that is a direct reference to the bandLinkin Park emblazoned across his lower back in Old Englishstyle lettering. But in a way, neither of these is his most Linkin Park-esque tattoo. That distinction would likely go to what he calls his flamesthe ribbons of red and blue fire that shoot forth from each of his wrists and travel the length of his forearms. I got those just about the day we started our first U.S. tour, Bennington says. I always said I wouldnt get my forearms done unless I knew I was going to have a job where I didnt have to care about having tattoos. And once Linkin Park signed our deal and went out on the road, it was legit. The funny thing is, within days of me getting the tattoos the first really big poster of the band came out, and it was an image of me holding onto the microphone, all sweaty, with both my forearms up. That was pretty much the first image besides the Hybrid Theory album cover that people really saw of the band. And so the flames quickly became a symbol for Linkin Park. They became so much of a symbol, in fact, that Bennington says he now sees plenty of fans with the same design on their forearms. And thats really strange to me. Because in my experience, if you walk into a studio with a picture of somebody elses tattoos and youre like, I want that, the artist kind of groans. The whole purpose of having flash is for it to mean something to you personally. Its not a T-shirt. He points to one particular flame-tattoo-wielding fan who took the homage to a whole new level. Theres a dude in China who has all of my tattoos, Bennington says. Every time I get a tattoo this guy gets a picture of it and goes to his artist and gets it done. And its like, Wow, thats dedication. In some ways its cool, but in most every other way it kinda pisses me off. Because those are mine! This superfan even has a replica of Benningtons most personal piece, a crest on his chest with the initials of his family members incorporated into the design. Theres a scroll across the top that says CB TB, which are mine and my wifes initials, he

says. And then underneath theres a rose and a scroll that has the initials of my four children. So this guy has my familys initials on his chest. And now I have twin girls that I have to add to the piece. Hell probably get those too. He has everything. Everything would include, among other tattoos, the six-armed alien on Benningtons back. A tattoo artist friend told me, When youre onstage you have an ability to reach out and make every person in the room feel like youre performing for them, he explains. There are also various dragons, koi fish, flowers, skulls, and other images on his arms, torso, and legs. Though Bennington says he has had work done all over the world, most of his tattoosincluding that first Pisces designwere inked at Club Tattoo, the Arizona-based parlor run by Sean Dowdell and his wife, Thora. Bennington has known Dowdell for yearsin the 90s the two played together in the Phoenix-based band Grey Daze. After that band broke up, Dowdell went on to focus on Club Tattoo while Bennington hooked up with Linkin Park and moved to Los Angeles. There was a period of time after Grey Daze where Sean and I werent very close, Bennington says. Had we been closer I probably would have ended up at the shop, apprenticing in piercing and tattoo design. Id probably be working there today. Things worked out a bit differently, of course, although Bennington eventually found his way into the Club Tattoo organization. Years ago, the Dowdells invited him to be a partner in the business. They were doing fine. They didnt really need a partner, Bennington says. It was really just a way for us to participate in something fun together. Benningtons vision was to expand the business beyond the handful of shops in their native Arizona and forge a national presence. I wanted to put the shops up in areas where the world would come to us, he says. And out of that came our Las Vegas location, which has been hugely successful, and also the new location in San Francisco, right off Pier 39. Thats a place where I think something like 50 million people a year will walk by our storefront. One area of the business he hasnt delved into is the actual tattooing. Different people have asked me to tattoo them, but I wont do it, Bennington says. It freaks me out. Theyre permanent! But not entirely permanent: Though Bennington says he still has a lot of work to get doneTheres some real estate on my left arm, and my left leg, and I want to add some color to my chest and back pieceshe also has plans to rework some of his existing tattoos. Ive contemplated lasering some of them, he admits. Hed start with the Pisces. That one never quite lived up to what I thought my first tattoo would be, which is something that looks good! But thats one of the great things about the tattoo industry today. The technology exists to go back and improve on whats already there. He laughs. Or maybe Ill just fade everything down and start over completely Its a thought that would likely drive one particular Chinese fan to the depths of despair.

54 | INKEDMAG.COM

GrOOMInG, HEIDI SPArKMAn

2013

take it from these gorgeous stars of adult film:

the more skin on display,

the more tattoos there should be.
t h e x x x f a c t o r

andy san dimas nikki hearts

cadence st. john tatiyana foxx emily parker bonnie rotten jessie lee
by rocky rakovic

56

page

photos by warwick saint

aNDY SaN DIMaS

Twitter: @andysandimas Accolades: AVN Best Actress 2011 and Xbiz Performer of the Year 2011 You may have also seen her in: Drive and Asking Alexandrias video for To the Stage Outlook on the business: I find it very rewarding. I feel like people think our job is way easier than it really is, but its very competitive. I feel like Ive really earned all of the awards that Ive won, and people respect that. Turn-ons: Long hair, metalheads, a sense of humor, and talent Favorite tattoo: The Orioles on my waist. Im from Maryland and the oriole is our state bird. The orioles have become my trademark for fans to recognize me by. Stage name origin: A young Andy romanticized California while watching Bill and Teds Bogus Journey, which featured the town of San Dimas. Which is a sexier enhancement, breast implants or tattoos? Tattoos, of course!

NIkkI heartS
Websites: nikkihearts.com, burningangel.com Twitter: @NikkiHeartsXXX Best films: The Real L Word NYC XXX The story of her left half sleeve: Its the Sunset Strip, mid-apocalypse. Its not quite finished, but Stacy Hill at Evolved Bodyart in Columbus, OH, is getting there. Ive wanted it since I was, like, 10 years old. Ive always been super influenced by Mtley Cre and 80s Hollywood metal. What she brings to the industry: Im definitely the only androgynous, real lesbian with tattoos in mainstream porn. Thoughts on the job: I get to parade around as the only out, rock n roll lesbian who bangs hot chicks for a living. That is a whole lot of everything I love and stand for. Next job: A sex educatorIll get there before I wrinkle. Outlook on the industry: There really are girls and guys in this industry who do it for more than money or fame. Its become a really fun and positive thing in life, and I always look forward to going to work, and I cant say that about any other job Ive had!

58 | INKEDMAG.COM

AmericAn AppArel underweAr; Viento necklAce; nissA ring; models own eArrings. preVious pAge: mArlies dekkers brA; Fredericks oF Hollywood underweAr; nissA jewelry.

tat I Ya Na fox x
Twitter: @XXXTatiyanaFoxx Works with: Penthouse films, Jules Jordan, and Elegant Angel The story of her arm tattoos: The skulls and roses show that I have overcome a lot of trials and tribulations in my life and I have become strong. I have bloomed like a beautiful rose. They were done by Chris Cap at Pokers Tattoo in Las Vegas. What she brings to the industry: I feel that I am very intriguing. I am not a size 0, I have tits, ass, a gorgeous face, and great skills. If she werent in porn: [Id be] a saxophonist, coroner, or photographer. Stage name origin: Someone told me I look like the actress Tatyana Ali, and I came up with the Foxx part because I think foxes are sly, cunning, and beautifulplus, this old guy told me I am a fox. Turn-ons: A goatee, some nice, manly handsno nail bitersgood personal hygiene, somewhat of a nice body, a sense of humor, and a job.

deVorA libin necklAce; snooki couture brAcelet; Viento ring; models own corset.

fEbruAry 2013 | 59

c a D e N c e S t. J o h N
Website: oitomboy.com Twitter: @cadencestjohn Best films: Lesbian Spotlight: Cadence St. John and Soaking Wet Mess Accolades: ZZ Insiders Top 10 Alt Porn Stars, 2010 Altporn. nets Best Alt Erotica Model, nominated for an AVN Award Favorite tattoo artists: Most of my tattoos were done by Mark Hanson at Black Saints and Fury at Subculture Industries in Santa Rosa, CA, and Coop at Kathouse Inc. Do fans ever recognize you by your tattoos? A good amount of time. Theyre the most recognizable thing about me. I can have different looks but the tattoos never change. Attitude at work: I just bring a natural body and my pervy attitudeand I dont detract from my beliefs to make a buck. Pro tip: It doesnt matter if youre perfectconfidence is key. We are sexual beings and should be able to embrace it. Its important for a healthy life.

60 | INKEDMAG.COM

mArlies dekkers brA; Viento brAcelet; nissA ring; models own eArrings.

e M I lY Pa r k e r
Websites: emilysplayground. com, emilyparkerspeaks.com, shopemilyparker.com On Twitter and Instagram: Some girls will choose to tweet only sexy things, but I put out a much more authentic version of myself [via @emilyparkerxxx]. Must-see: Her 2013 calendar Favorite tattoo: On my left arm is a little cat that my best friend, Veronica Ricci, drew for me when we were about 7. I got it tattooed by Brandon Bracamonte at Fallen Angel in Citrus Heights, CA, on her birthday one year. She was so shocked and surprised that I had saved it all these years. Is the job harder than it looks? Have you ever tried the pile driver position? I get excited every time I see a bed on a sethello, normal! Turn-ons: Long walks on the beach, and Lionel Richie just kidding! Good-looking men with tattoos, for starters. I like people who are deep, who can be entertaining, and who make me laugh. I am mostly attracted to a persons soul.

VictoriAs secret underweAr.

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BoNNIe rotteN
Websites: bonnierotten.com, freeones.com, berotten.com Instagram: BeRottenxxx Best film: Meet Bonnie Accolades: Eight nominations for awards, including AVNs 2013 Starlet of the Year, which she calls a huge honor, being seven months into the industry and covered in tattoos First tattoo: I named him Henry. He is a large zombie on my stomach from Night of the Living Dead: The Beginning comic series. Kevin Combs in Cincinnati did it over almost 13 hours. Motto: If you aint sinnin you aint winnin!, a creed embodied on her left foot in a hillbilly devil by artist Nick Solomon Stage name origin: On the back of my right leg is a pinup zombie that I deemed my alter ego. I got it at 16 and I had to give her an appropriate name, so I put Bonnie Rotten on her tombstone.

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Viento necklAce And eArrings; nissA brAcelet And rings.

Stylist: lauren berina Stylist assistant: reichelle palo Hair: timothy durant for kenra Makeup: Angie peek for stila cosmetics Location: riffraff studio

JeSSIe lee
Website: burningangel.com Twitter: @OMGitsJessieLee Best film: Jessie Lees Girls Night Out Most recognizable piece: My friend Clamore Wolfmeyer at Black Label Tattoo in Frederick, MD, did the tattoo on the side of my neck. Its a rose inside the mouth of a skull. My other favorite is the camera on my hand, which was by Erich Foster over at Rise Above Tattoo, in Buffalo, NY. If she werent in porn: Id probably still be working at a coffee shop. I was at Starbucks for a few years before I started doing porn. Turn-ons: Im really attracted to heavily tattooed guys, and I love passionate sex. Seriously, pick me up, throw me around, and dominate me. Thats the best. I actually practice the moves that I love on film with my partners.

Viento ring.

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Boxers vs. Briefs

No matter which corNer youre iN, you caN still puNch up your uNderwear.
photos by gorman studio

W i n , L o s e , o r D r a W e r s Clockwise from top left: Volcom X Factor boxers, swell.com; Huf boxers, hufworldwide.com; Old Navy boxers, oldnavy.com; Paul Frank boxers, webundies.com. Center: Burton boxers, burton.com.

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B e L o W t h e B e L t Clockwise from top left: Diesel boxer briefs, store.diesel. com; American Apparel briefs, store. americanapparel.net; 2(X)ist trunks, 2xist. com; Baskit boxer briefs, baskitwear.com. Center: Calvin Klein trunks, calvinklein.com.

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The Sex liveS of inked people

ever wanT To know whaT iTS like To be in The Skin buSineSS?
AS TOLD TO ROCKY RAKOVIC PHOTO BY KIMBERLY KANE

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MandY Morbid

Melissa Petro: Sex Worker

I became a sex worker at 19 years old while living as a student abroad in Mexico. I started working as a stripper in a club called La Trampatranslated, the tramp or the trap or snare. Earlier that same day, I had gotten my first tattoo. It was my tattoo artist, Angel, who introduced me to La Trampa. He asked if I was interested in making some cash, and to his mild amusement, I said yes. We met later that evening and, together, took a cab to the club. To me La Trampa appeared as a neon flare, glowing off the highway in the middle of the night. Something potentially dangerous and thrilling and just what I felt I needed. The tattoo was burning. It felt like Id been punched in the shoulder, and I couldnt believe Id gone through with it. Angel did all the talking. I stood back and watched. The guy at the door called for an older man I presumed to be the owner. There was a lot of nodding over to me as the three men talked. Eventually, the owner turned to me and asked, Is this what you want to do? Are you sure? I worked on and off as a stripper and, later, as a call girl, for nearly a decade. I got six more tattoos, all butterflies, zigzagging up my back. During the darkest period of my life, I got a large tattoo on my left bicepnot a butterflythat Ive since covered over. Sometimes surrendering to impulsive, irreversible acts can be a mistake. But an artist can turn a mistake into something beautiful. Today, I work as a writer and teach other sex workers to write and share their stories.

Travis HaTfield: Contestant on oxygens Love Games: Bad GirLs Need Love Too
Dating on TV is an unreal experience. The cameras didnt matter after a while. I was just myself, totally forgot they were there to film. I can honestly say I was the realest on the show, faults and all. I can say in all honesty that I was looking for love on the show. I came to Love Games believing it was definitely possible to find love on TV. But after living in the moment and thinking I had made a connection with Camilla and then being eliminated I still believe it is possible, but I think it has to be the right show. In the end Camilla was the one who eliminated me. I was confused at the moment. Now I understand she was playing the game. I am not ashamed because I showed that I was not playing anyone. Winning was not as important as finding love, but it was humiliating to see all that they said about me during their behind-the-scenes interviews. But they made themselves look fake and trashy. Bad girls dig guys with tattoos. Girls like guys who are edgy and are rock stars. My favorite tattoo has to be an eagle on my chest; to me it represents freedom and flying into the gates of heaven. My next piece is going across my back. On one side I want a beach, meaning life is a beach, its relaxing. On the other side I want a war, meaning the other option is life as a war. With life, as in love, there is no in-between.

I worked on the business side of the music industry for some years and engaged in BDSM in my personal life with my partner. Being a professional dominatrix wasnt in my crosshairs. It happened for a short time but was not something I was interested in pursuing long-term and full-time. Its my fun. Growing up, I was fascinated by the darker side of thingsthings considered taboo. I was just over 18 years old when I figured out I liked doing things that may seem different to some people. I did a lot of lightweight experimentation at first, but when I figured out I liked doing horrible things to wonderful people who asked very nicely, I was wide open to learning more and digging deeper. For some, its 100 percent about the sex. For others, the rush, the power any combination of those things. Everyones psychology and motivations are different. Nothing is cut-and-dried. Good sex is good sex. I dont compare vanilla

sex with BDSM goodies. For myself, thats just a little unrealistic. Sometimes I like Granny Smith apples, other times McIntosh, sometimes bites of both in the same sitting. When you meet with your fine dermal graphics artisan [tattoo artist], youre putting yourself in front of someone to have something permanently added to you. It is a form of submission. But personally, most of the tattoos I have seen in-scene are on dominants rather than submissives. My favorite tattoo is my latest: the octopus on my left forearm. Shes my rocktopus diving from the clouds to take care of business. Shes finished and a nice, bright shade of magenta. I usually have a lot on my plate, and sometimes I feel like I need eight arms to get everything done within certain time frames, either deadlines for life-stuff or selfimposed, but dont we all? Also, imagine eight paddles at the same time .

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PETRO, ALEx COLBy; HATFIELD, JOJO AT TAIyOu PHOTOGRAPHy; NOCTuRNIA, STEVE LEASE

NocturNia: Dominatrix

Nick Hawk: GiGolo

After four years in the Air Force I became a stripper to pay the bills, finish up college, and start my own company. Then an escort or gigolo was something that definitely sounded interesting. I really see myself helping and making people happy, and its a great feeling. Bookings were minimal in the beginning but definitely gave me some good experience in preparation for my Showtime TV show, Gigolos. Tattoos were something that I always wanted. I had many ideas, but I thought it was best to not have them, as I was seeking a profession in acting. But when I signed on to the show, I hit the tattoo shop once a week. My main tattoo, located on a large percentage of my body, including my left shoulder, left arm, chest, back, midsection, and penisyes, on my penisis a Symbiote. Its an alien creature from comic books that attaches to you. The creature doesnt always have the best intentions; it brings out your dark side and makes you not care as much. Its a metaphor for the life that I have chosen. Im definitely more selective with clientele now than when I first started. Ill meet with anyone, but I typically only see clients who I have a connection with. Ive been fortunate enough to meet a bunch of wonderful people, see a lot of wonderful places, and do a lot of fun stuff. I love what I do, but I put a lot of time, effort, and focus into it, so I can only see so many clients. Not to mention working on my acting career, music, sex and relationship advice website, nickhawksexpert.com, and sex toy and novelty line. My signature product is a dildo that was cast from my own penis. Its pretty dope.

Zak Sabbath and Mandy Morbid: Porn StarS in a relationShiP

If youre one of those people who can manage not to act like an idiot just because everyone around you is, porns a pretty good job. Hot girls have sex with us; then sometimes someone films it and we all get paid. Mandy is kind of a tattoo snobshe has almost everything done by Josh Lord of East Side Ink in New york. His specialty is doing mind-bendingly precise copies of artwork, which is good because a lot of what Mandy gets tattooed is stuff I drew, and my stuff can get dense and complicated. Being a professional artist is my day job. Im not even remotely a tattoo snob. I have a few by Josh and a gorgeous one by Kaza copy of an old yoshitoshi printbut my whole right arm is pretty much amateur hour. Its all apprentices or people practicing. Mandy has a genetic conditionEhlers-Danlos syndromeand a whole raft of related chronic illnesses, and I have them tattooed on my inner forearm. A friend did it. It was one of her first tattoos, and it doesnt look slick at all, but it does the trick when I have to go to the emergency room and fill out forms. The tattoos do their job, even when theyre bad. If hot tattooed chicks in porn want to have sex with you, you have to have the right tattooseven if that means one or two of the old ones from back in the day that are blown out or a little wiggly.

HAWK, EARL MILLER; SABBATH AND MORBID, KIMBERLy KANE; MOORE, DuSTIN FENSTERMACHER

Hunter Moore: SalaciouS WebSite oWner

If you didnt see isanyoneup.com when it was up, it was a user-generated website where people would post content like groupies reviews of musicians that they fucked or nude pics in revenge of someone who wronged them. It started when my friends wanted to see pictures of a girl I had sex with who fucked me over, but iChat was down so I posted them on this small site I owned [isanyoneup. com]. Then after being shared and linked to, it got hella big and other people started uploading. It became a collection of humor, dick pictures, trolling, and hot naked chicks. Most of the media is too old to understand how the internet works and they vilified me. In a shitty way, isanyoneup.com was a public servicefor those who were slighted, I gave an outlet. Calling a guy out for having a small dick or a girl for having pepperoni nipples is better than slashing someones tire or other extremes the jilted take. While its not the traditional route, I stick up for free speech and against regulating the internet. The media said I purveyed child porn, which is incorrect and sick. Some users tried to post underage pics, but I turned them over to the FBI. Ive probably put more pedophiles in jail than Chris Hansen. Now Im working on launching huntermoore.tv, which will give users more control, and its going to be more gangster than the old site. Its going to mix social media with tits and peniseswhich I hate, but they bring trafficon a whole new level. Without tattoos there never would have been isanyoneup.com. It was completely for scene kids. I got my first piece at Forever Tattoo in Sacramento and havent needed to go anywhere else since. My first, at 18, was on my chest so that my parents couldnt see it. Funny, now I put my dick in girls asses on Instagram. I went to get my latest tattoo with my dad when I closed down isanyoneup.com; I got hated in French tattooed on my hand.

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Q+A
LouIE VIto
The fresh-faced king of the mountain is newly tattooed and gearing up for another great season.
By ReBecca SwanneR PhotoS By BRandon Flint

Louie Vito has been one with the snow almost since birth. By age 3, this freestyle Olympic snowboarder was happily swooshing down the slopes on skis. But then came the fateful day he and his dad spotted some boarders on the slopes. Curious, they tried it out, and soon thereafter, a family of skiers became a family of snowboarders. Though Vito loved the idea of becoming an aerospace engineer, he was born to be an athlete. When he was younger he had contemplated becoming a gymnast, but it was his passion for powder that kept bringing him back to the mountain. In eighth grade he enrolled in the Stratton Mountain School, a boarding school in Vermont, and since then hes never looked back. Eventually, he turned pro, thanks in part to his competitive spirit. No one remembers secondI dont want anyone to beat me in anything, he says. With that attitude, its no surprise he earned first place in the half-pipe at the 2011 European Winter X Games, first place on the Winter Dew Tour in 2011, a place on the 2010 U.S. Olympic team, and a slew of other medals since. Although he has yet to go under the tattoo machine for a piece that pays homage to the sport he loves so much, he has plenty of other tattoos that honor his family and his faith.
INKED: How many tattoos do you have now? LouIE VIto: I have almost my whole arm done. I have one big chunk left. My first tattoo was Vito Family in Italian on the inside of my arm. Carey Hart has a tattoo shop called Hart and Huntington in the Palms [in Las Vegas], and I was too young to go into the club, so Joe Maloof actually gave me money for my first tattoo and then the next time I went to Vegas I went to Hart and Huntington and he hooked me up. My mom always gave me St. Christopher medals for safe travels and protection when I was traveling a lot and away from home. Being as young as I was, I would break thingsbeing a typical kid and I was like, Why dont I just tattoo it on me? I wanted it a lot smaller than I have it, but the guy was like, Well see the detail if its bigger. I called my friend Mason Aguirre, who is a snowboarder and one of my best friends, and he had more tattoos than me at the time, and I asked him what he thought. And he thought I should do it, so I did. So I have St. Christopher on my forearm. I wanted just to have protection. Im always traveling, always on the road, always doing tricks that could put me in a wheelchair or kill me at any second or end my career. I want as much protection as I can get. And the next? The next tattoo, my mom got for me. I went to Norm at Lowrider TattoosI really like his scriptand I now have my moms initials on my wrist underneath the St. Christopher. Then on the

top of my wrist after that I got my sisters initials, so I now have this bracelet. I have the whole inside of my arm, so I asked my tattoo big brothers who should do the rest of my art, and my friend said Franco Vescovi. Im Catholic, I grew up Catholic, and its part of my life, so I got St. Michael on top of my arm. I just got a Bible verse that means a lot to me, which is Philippians 4:13, right at the bottom of my biceps and just onto the top of my forearmso its almost close to a 3/4 sleeve. How did you decide on what kind of style you wanted? Norm is now a good friend of mine and I would just hang out at his tattoo place in Hollywood, just because its right next to this gallery which has a lot of my friends artwork from Seventh Letter and MFK. I liked his script and I just asked him and trusted his judgment. Then I just put a lot of trust in him, and Franco is the best Ive ever seen. I let them decide how its going to fit. I come in with an idea and they figure out how its going to work. Franco did the big piece on my arm and Im going to have him finish it because I feel its best to just have one person finish it off. What was it like getting your first tattoo? Its one of those pains that hurts when youre doing it but as soon as they stop you cant wait for them to start again. The way I think about it is if youve ever played Sting Pong, you know that when the ball is going to hit you its going to sting like no other, but you almost look forward to it. You almost want that pain. My most painful one was on the inside of my wrist because I had a bone graft in my wrist when I had a screw put in it, and so I had a scar. When Norm was going over the scar I could feel it just

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because of where it was. And then Franco is really light. He has his own gun called Bishop Rotary, and those are really quiet, and his tattooingI dont know if you just get used to it, but it wasnt bad at all. The only thing that got tired was my butt, for sitting down for so long. Would you ever get a snowboarding tattoo? I probably will, but I just want to finish my arm first with the theme that Im going with, and once I finish that, I will probably take a little bit of a break because then my arm will be completely done and thats all my tattoos on one arm. And with the season coming up, I dont know when Ill have a second, but as soon as I get down there well start it up. I kind of want to get my ribs done because Ive heard how painful they are. thinking back to when you experienced snowboarding for the first time, do you remember what that was like or why you liked it better than skiing? I was 6. In the Midwest, out in the boonies, it was something new. My family had a great time trying it. I think my mom was happy because of snowboardings image and the fact that my dad was also out there among a bunch of 15- and 24-year-olds. It was a pretty funny scene. But we both were having a blast just figuring it out.

dont lift upper body! Hes like, Trust meyoure going to get smaller but look bigger. So I changed the way I ate and did his workouts, and before you know it, I was smaller. I got down to 135. At 135, I looked bigger than I was at 155. Has it helped you? Yeah. Ill watch old footage and be like, Holy cow, I didnt realize that I was that flat. I cant believe I didnt fall. When you land flat, you jar yourself. But [now] I dont have to carve out of itmy upper body and my head are getting me out of it. Now my balance is better and Im definitely stronger and I can take flatter landings now. Does that mean no more Waffle House? Thats my favorite restaurant! Well, Im still allowed to zigzag my calories. Im going to eat enough for a small country tomorrow. [Ed. note: This interview was the day before Thanksgiving.] And I had Waffle House the last time I was home because that was my meal to get my calories up. My body burns it off in a day or so and Ill be back to my normal weight. So when you were first starting, were you ever nervous or afraid of doing a trick? You always have a little bit of a fear in you, but thats what makes it so much better when you accomplish it. Its like anything you accomplish, whether

friends, [they knew] that snowboarding is number one. When I was younger, the chance of me marrying [a particular] girl was pretty slim, and snowboarding was what was paying the bills. Its getting me to where I want to go. I just want them to know Im not going to skip a snowboard contest to hang out. Im not going to go skip something thats important because you want to go on vacation. The only time it has hurt my dating life is if they dont understand that and I cant make plans three months in advance because I dont know what Im doing three days from now. When do you start planning for the 2014 olympics? Its always there to keep you motivated, but you might not be training for that one thing. There are a lot of contests in between and I want to do well in those contests. But if I do well in those contests, it keeps me on the right path going in. Do you have a pre-competition ritual that you do? Normally I have this song that I strap in to. They usually tell you to get ready three people out, so I have one song that I listen to when Im strapping in and one song that I listen to when I snowboard the actual contest. I listened to the same two songs every contest last year.

If youre good enough they cant Ignore you.

It sounds like you have a good father. What wisdom has he imparted? If youre in trouble, youre doing well. If you fail, you succeed. He has a quote for everything. Theyre motivational and his thinking was sometimes a little bit ahead of snowboardings time. When older snowboarders were getting ready for the Olympics in 98, he would ask them about trainers, and theyd be like, Its not cool. Now I have a trainer and I think its one of the best things Ive done. Speaking of your trainer, its John Schaeffer, right? the same guy who trains Apolo ohno? Yes. He helped you lose 10 pounds and 10 percent body fatdid it really make a difference? Im pretty short and pretty stocky. So before I had a trainer, I had a lot of upper-body strength and weight. I met John at the Dancing With the Stars finale [Vito was a contestant on season nine]. Apolo was there, and Im always that person where, if I meet an elite athlete, I have to [pick their brain] and apply it to my own life. John, from the moment he saw me, said, I think youre too topheavy. From the footage he watched, he said, I think I can get you to 155. What he would do is he wanted to slim me down and lower my center of gravity. But I was nervous because I have thick legslike, tree-trunk legsand a booty to match. I was like, Im going to look like a bowling pin if I its fear or something physical. Any obstacle you have, if you overcome it, that feeling you have is so priceless. If its kind of a gnarly trick you might have more nerves before you land it, but you cant even put into words how good it feels. That keeps pushing me in snowboarding. You want to keep going with that feeling because its so priceless. For instance, you were the first one to do the backside 1080, which you did at just 17. Once you get the taste of the contest, you want to keep on achieving that. I always shoot for the top and settle for less. You always want to set your sights high and your goals high. You want to work hard to be the best, be at the top. What is the real difference when youre out there between first and third place? Is it a mental game? No one remembers second. I dont want anyone to beat me in anything I do; Im one of the most competitive people. If were playing Monopoly, I want to win. If were playing basketballIm 55, Im not Kevin DurantI want to win. I suck at tennis, but I love playing tennis. I want to win. Its just how Ive been raised, and its how I am, pushing myself to be the best. I dont want anyone to beat me in anything. Does that ever come into trouble in your romantic life? My dating life has been pretty relaxed. I travel so much that when I did have girlWhat are the two? The song I listen to when I strap in is Bad Meets Evil by Above the Law, and the song I snowboard to is Im a Boss because well, one, because you got to keep telling yourself youre the boss and youre the best because then youll have the confidence to do it. Then theres a line in the song that is: Im only 23, Im the shit now look at me. And I was 23 all last year. Are you planning any tricks that you can tell us about? No, Ive learned a new trick over the summer, another double, so now I have five doubles that I can do and I just want to make up a good run. And its not necessarily one trick that will make a difference; its a combination of all of them. I know your dad has a lot of mottoes. Do you have ones you hold dear when training? One he came up with and one I live by is: If youre good enough they cant ignore you. I had friends going to snowboard school who would not really be in the scene, and the next thing you know theyre the biggest thing in snowboarding. Ive always taken baby steps. If I do something, itll be like, meh. If someone else does it, its like the second coming of God. Its like, I already did that. How come I dont get any love for that? Just keep being you, things will come. Thats one quote Ive always embraced. Another is be happy but dont be satisfied, because if youre satisfied, you plateau. At a contest, Im stoked if I winbut if I lose, not even a Snickers will satisfy me.

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is for love
If anyone objects to the marriage of this couple, The Real L Words Sara Bettencourt and Whitney Mixter well, read this before you speak.
By Rocky Rakovic

page 74

Sara Bettencourt and Whitney Mixter

We wanted to show that marriage is great between any two people in love. Whitney Mixter

I n k e d d o e S n t t y p I c a l ly p u B l I S h e d I t o r I a l S
because we feel that everybody is entitled to his own view; our magazines mission is to bring the community together, not to alienate anyone. Howeverand you probably knew there was a however comingwe do believe in civil rights. If the magazine had been founded in the 20th century, we would likely have rallied for womens suffrage and desegregation. We question changes to the Army Uniform Regulations that would ban hand and sleeve tattoos. And when it comes to gay rights, we cant comprehend why some Americans are denied the right to marry. So, this magazine is using its freedom of expression to point out that the opposition of same-sex marriage is a great injustice. Since discrimination is often born of ignorance, getting to know a couple in a same-sex marriage may be the first step to supporting same-sex marriage. For that reason, please meet Sara Bettencourt and Whitney Mixter, a married couple of the same gender. They have the same rights as everybody else in the tattoo community except theyre denied the right to have their marriage recognized in every state of this free country. Bettencourt and Mixter may not be perfect people, and once they move past the honeymoon phase, they might not have the perfect relationship, but their imperfections are what makes them an ideal representation of modern marriage. To see their flaws, you can watch the first two seasons of Showtimes The Real L Word. To witness their maturation and the culmination of their love, make your way to the third season, the finale of which captured their wedding. One of the reasons we decided to have our wedding filmed was for it to normalize same-sex marriage, Bettencourt says. We wanted to share our story with the world, Mixter says. Much of the world is not exposed to our view and we wanted to show that marriage is great between any two people in love. Although most of the audience of The Real L Word is probably already in support of gay rights, Mixter says that it was worth having her most intimate day publicized if it helped to change just one persons mind.

That person may very well have been Bettencourts mother. The couple says she loves Mixter but was unsettled by the thought of their marriage. She has a lot of regrets about the wedding, Bettencourt says. She couldnt understand the concept, but now she does. People in her Portuguese community were talking about it the other day and she stood up and said [paraphrasing], I am proud of my daughter. I love her partner. I love my daughter. This was a big step for her. If I could change anything about her, I wouldnt. Everyone involved in the wedding has grown since the ceremony, and they all continue to grow. We have a sense of completion, Mixter says. One door is closed and now we wait for another to open. Before we were married and we got into fights we would say, Screw this. But now we have to work on things. It is definitely hard work, but its the happiest Ive ever been in my life, Bettencourt says. We are moving into adulthood in a realistic way. While the couple is in talks about starting a family, their only baby these days is a clothing company called Cloth and Justice, which they are planning to launch by spring. Born to unite their passion for fashion and their wish to help those in need, the business will bring awareness to the plight of endangered animals and social issues in third world countries. Bettencourt is focusing on designing the womens apparel, while Mixter, who often wears mens clothes, is concentrating on more androgynous pieces. Eventually, as Cloth and Justice evolves, the couple hopes to have it bring attention to gay-rights issues, including the fact that their marriage isnt fully recognized in their home state of California (they wed in Connecticut). But the Golden State cant force them to take off their wedding rings, and it certainly cant do anything about the love they express through their tattoos (Bettencourt has Whitney inked on her arm, but Mixter has yet to return the honor.) I know she scoffs at me, Mixter says. But I swear Im going to get it. Its funny, when I got her name I didnt want her to think that she had to reciprocate, Bettencourt says. But a little part of me wants her to reciprocate. It sounds like a normal marriage to us.

PHOTOS By LARA HOTz

february 2013 | 77

GOOD TIMES, GREAT TATTOOS, & AN INCREDIBLE TATTOOIST!

Graduating from college with a Bachelor's Degree and becoming an art teacher is the dream of many young students. Good pay, benefits, and summers off are attractive perks to the job, one would think. Well, this art teacher decided to take a U-turn in life well into his career, and not for a likely change at that. This individual goes by the name of John Lloyd, and decided after being tattooed himself, he'd found his calling. John apprenticed at Atlanta's hot shop ALL OR NOTHING tattoo, and at that point never looked back. He has been enjoying a career in tattooing for more than a few years now, and has found a new home in one the Midwest's most reputable tattoo studios, TRUTH & TRIUMPH TATTOO. "We'd been fans of Truth and Triumph from all the way in Atlanta, and I knew if I was gonna make a move, I was gonna make it count!" Says John. Well make it count he did. John has been happily tattooing alongside his fellow tattooers, radiating with good energy, and spreading that good energy around the tattoo studio for all to feed off of. He's also been building quite a reputation for himself as an accomplished artist, and just all around good person. John fits snug as a bug in a rug at Truth & Triumph Tattoo, and plans on planting solid roots in his hometown Dayton, Ohio.

inked scene
icon. shop talk. sketchbook.

photo by JENNIFER NEWby StELL

I lIke followIng the rulesnot In most outlets In lIfe but when It comes to tattoos I do. RichaRd Stell

FEbruary 2013 | 81

inked scene | icon

as the old-school tattooer opens up a new shop, we take a look at the lIfe and work of one of amerIcas greatest tradItIonal Inkers. by charlie connell p o r t r a i t by n at h a n h a r m o n

RichaRd stell

When i started out we had never heard the term American Traditional, says legendary artist Richard Stell. Thats just what a tattoo was. As styles changed throughout the years, Stell says he would try out all of them to see what they were about. And after all of the experimentation, he always returned to the style he first fell in love with. I think its important to give a tattoo that authentic feel, Stell says. The thing about traditional tattoos is that when you pull it off and it looks authenticits something to be proud of right there. It feels good. Over the years Stell has maintained his traditional approach to tattooing and has passed down a similar respect for tradition to artists such as Oliver Peck. Today, nearing an age when most people would be thinking about wrapping up their careers, Stell has decided to take on the new challenge of opening up a shop in Tulsa, OK. Tattooing was illegal in Oklahoma until 2006, so it may be a bit treacherous opening a shop on uncharted territory. But Stell welcomes this challenge with the same humor that he seems to use in all situations. I think it will work goodeither that, or itll be the biggest rotten pork chop of my life, Stell says with a laugh. As long as he sticks to the traditional approach that has made him such a respected artist, the new shop will surely be a success.

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inkeD: What year did you start tattooing professionally? richarD stell: I started screwing around with it in the late 70s. I really started working out of a shop proper in the early 80s. I even gave up a couple of timesI wasnt sure that I could make a living doing this. I didnt like working working. I worked in oil fields and refineries, shrimp boats, and all that stuff. It wasnt any fun. While it may be more fun than working on a shrimp boat, tattooing still feels like a job at times, right? Nah, it still never seems like work. What drew you to the american traditional style of tattooing? It looked like a tattoo. Ill be honestyou can still do those as a painting or something and it still looks like a tattoo. Id rather do that than something that looks like an illustration. When I was getting into it, black-and-gray was really coming into its own. the guy who brought me in was a Mexican guy, so they were doing a lot of that. It made me really see the difference. What I wanted to do was the American traditional style that was kind of going out at the timeit wasnt as popular. We didnt really call it black-and-gray back then; it was jailhouse style and everybody wanted that. the prison guys would come back with that stuff. they were getting it out of necessity, from guitar strings, and all they had to work with was black ink. It turned into the tough style, which was kind of funny to me. the tough style was this fine line delicate and almost feminine-looking stuffsince they had limited needles and no color at all. It turned into the tough-guy style. Strange, huh? have you been tempted to try other styles over the years? Man, I tried it all! I remember that first TattooTime that Ed hardy put out was the tribal issue. I actually had some tribal stuff, and I couldnt give that stuff away. years later, like 10, thats all I was doing. people were getting big zebra stripes all over their arms. I did that. Ive done some black-and-gray, which I enjoy too. And we didnt call it new-school when it came around eitherit was just the new modern thing. there was that period when everything was bolder and brighter. Ive done a bit of everything. I didnt really mess much with Japanese until lately. I didnt

have expertise with it, and there were plenty of people doing a really great job with it. Now I really enjoy that too, because it takes a lot more discipline than anything else doesa lot of bold lines, contrast shading. When you are working in different styles, do you feel its a necessity to put your own touch on things? No. If its traditional like that, it should just be passing it on. you cant re-create it. you cant reinvent it. people try it all the time and usually it ends up lacking in something. thats right there in the word itself, tradition. Its doing things the way they were done before. A lot of people try and make it their own, but you cant call that traditional. based in traditional? Maybe. It just becomes contemporary. Do you ever feel like adhering to tradition stifles your creativity? I think its important to give a tattoo that authentic feel. I have plenty of other outlets for my creativity. I can paint, and stuff where I can do whatever I want where there are no rules. I like following the rulesnot in most outlets in lifebut when it comes to tattoos I do. the thing about traditional tattoos is that when you pull it off, and it looks authentic, its something to be proud of right there. It feels good. there are a lot of people that want to put their personality into it, well, fine for them. I dont need to express myself in that way. While you have found a style that suits you, and you have been doing it for many years, is it still possible for you to learn new things? you have got to keep learning. there are so many ways to do one picture. Most of them are wrong [laughs] but you have got to make those mistakes to learn them just hope that you make those mistakes on paper first and not on skin. you can throw those away. the best you can do with skin is just deny that you made a mistake and then you are just lying to yourself. Lying to yourself is rampant based on how many comb-overs there are in this world. lately you have been having some health problems and you have been struggling to find health insurance. Whats going on? yeah, weve been trying to get insurance. Ive got a double hernia going that needs to be operated on. that

came from working in the shop. Complications from diabetes and just getting older, thats life. you spend a lot of time feeling like youre bulletproof, but it turns out life aint that way. youve had some complications with your eyesare you worried that will cause your eyesight to fail? as an artist that could be a big fear. Well, I can see. the only problem is fatigue. If I get too tired my eyesight gets a little swimmy. Ive had some bleeding behind the eyes and that made me really snap back and start taking care of myself. Damn, man, dont bummer me out like that. but the lifestyle of a tattoo artist can be cool and carefree. you get to travel and do what you love while making a living. but there are those downsides, like not having the stability of other jobs that might provide health insurance. Do you ever regret the life you chose? Its discipline. Its all up to you. I am not the poster child for discipline, by any means. For a while I worked at a factory where I had to punch a time clock and follow a dress code. I worked in a refinery where there was a guy to check if you had shaved right when you came in the gate, in case you had to throw on a respirator. If you hadnt shaved they gave you a bic and you had to go to the water fountain. Not a lot of laughing and smiling going on in that environment, just a lot of moaning and whining for a very small check. When I was working in the oil field I was also tattooing at night for a little while. It was pretty tiring but I was really young so I did it. My pop told me to keep my job in the oil field so that I would have insurance. I saw a guy get his fingers cut off one time. I saw a guy die. I thought, So thats why you need the insurance here. once I started making more money at night than I was all day at the oil field, thats when I figured that I would just take my chances with the tattooing. its at least a lot safer work environment. Ive never seen anyone get their fingers cut off tattooing. Not while tattooing, anyway. [Laughs.] Ive heard of people getting their fingers chopped off because of tattooing, but not while tattooing. over the years tattoo culture has changed a great deal and become more

W h e n i s ta r t e D out We haD never hearD the t e r m a m e r i c a n t r a D i t i o n a l . t h at s j u s t W h at a t a t t o o W a s .

accepted you think? [Laughs.] there was no tattoo culture back then. All we had was the National tattoo Convention. When I started out there was one convention a year. Now they have become expos. Its like gun shows: Come on down Sunday if you want good deals, folks! how do you feel about all of the changes the industry has gone through? Im not one to bitch about it. Its interesting to see how much it has grown; I never would have foreseen this. When I started tattooing I knew two people with tattoos: my dad and the guy who did his tattoos. My generation wasnt interested in it. It was something that their dads had from the war. It used to be a cycle where every other generation liked it. you either got them because your parents didnt have them, or you avoided them because your parents had them. Now Ive tattooed whole families. Kids, parents, grandkids, whatever. Who cares? I remember when there was one book in the bookstore with tattoos in it. I saw this movie where a guy got a tattoo on his lip. It was called Jabberwalk [This Is America], and it was all about weird shit in America, at the drive-in. It just stuck in my head. My grandpa used to say, Richard is always into the weird shit. I lived in a little country town where nothing ever happened. I was attracted to anything strange or out of the ordinary. Everyone in my family was always petrified of snakes, so I became really interested in snakes. Do you ever think that all of the ways tattoo styles have changed is bad for tattooing as a whole? Some of the things those kids do with the realism, I admire it. I dont have the desire to do itIve found what I like to do and Im going to stick to that. I dont hate them for it. I want

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inked scene | icon

W h e n i s ta r t e D tat to o i n g i k n e W t W o p eo p l e W i t h tat to o s : m y Da D a n D t h e g u y W h o D i D h i s tat to o s . m y g e n e r at i o n Was n t i n t e r e s t e D i n i t. i t W a s s o m e t h i n g t h a t t h e i r D a D s h a D f r o m t h e W a r .
people keep coming. It was funny at first, but by now its like, Get out of here! We dont do that no more! its funny the first couple of times, but not so much after that. Exactly. It happens four, five times a day. Middle of the night, first thing in the morning, whenever. Right down the street theres two more of them. When we went to sign the lease they still had the old sign up; the place was called Miss Saigon. We figured that there was no way these people would turn us down. you get a lot of that in tattooing. When you go to open a tattoo shop youll hear, No, get out of here. but here were helping them move up a little in the world. theres nothing wrong with whoring. I mean, God bless whoringits good, honest work. I dont know how long its going to take to change the stigma of the location. the first day we started renovating the shop the news showed up to do a story about prostitution. I said, Come on, fellas, give us a break. Were having trouble as it is. you dont need to put it on tV what this place used to be. Do you know when the shop is going to be up and running? At this time it is officially sometime in the future. Were busting our asses as hard as we can. Its right on the cusp of going from really difficult to rolling downhill. Every shop that Ive built before started off as an empty box and we filled it. Ive never built a place where we had to tear it all down to start over again. We had to get rid of all these rooms and re-create it. the thing about this old building is that everything we have planned seems to go wrong. there will be pipes in a wall when we thought there werent any, so we have to rethink it. once we get it all done we get to start jumping through hoops with the oklahoma health Department. Its a really difficult state to open a shop in. What makes opening a shop in oklahoma so difficult? tattooing has only been legal there for six years and they are still trying to figure it out. back in texas I worked with the health board and helped make some of the laws there. I think Jennifer and I are going to try and help out the state here. What they seem to be doing is kind of backward here, in that they are punishing people who are trying to do it right and being really hard on them. What compelled you to open a shop in an area where it is so difficult to navigate the laws? I didnt want to open a shop with anyone that I knew because thats a sure way to lose a friend. And I didnt want to go someplace where I had a friend established already. I didnt want to, for lack of a better word, compete with them. I dont think its competitive, but you dont want to go into their town and open up a shop. When I looked at tulsa, I didnt know anybody, and nobody was doing what Im doing. I think the oldest guy there is 35, and they arent doing traditional. So Ill be a niche. theres no real history there, so I can make up some history. I think it will work good. Either that or itll be the biggest rotten pork chop of my life. Its just going to be me and Jen, maybe some guests every once in a while. Its not like were going to be taking away some kids college money by showing up there. I can only do so much, and its a nice place to live, its a nice town. Maybe its a kind of semi-retirement for me. the rent is easy and Im not going to have to bust my ass while doing that mobile tattooer game. If I dont have that much to do Ill have a lot of time to paint, and thats a good thing. Stells Shop: Pair-O-Dice 2921 S. Harvard Ave. Tulsa, Oklahoma richardstelltattoos.com

to see what its going to look like in 20 years, but there is no way to find out other than waiting 20 years. Were going to have to wait and see. Some of it looks like its going to work, but it all depends on the adeptness of the hand thats applying it. you see a lot of people trying to illustrate what they see, but they arent really getting it in there good. Going back to how its weird how tattooing became popular, look at all the things that have become popular. I got chased off of one of my girlfriends porches by her daddy because I was riding a motorcycle and I had tattoos. Now I imagine that if her daddy is still alive he probably has a little tattoo and is riding a harley Softail and enjoying his retirement. you mentioned earlier how the popularity of tattooing used to skip generations. Do you feel like there is any way that tattoos will go back underground? No, not now. I think that on a philosophical level Ive always believed that the more people there are, and the smaller the world gets, that everyone wants to be an individual. tattooing seems to be one way to do it. Even if they have the same tattoos, they feel like theyre different. people have always decorated their bodies one way or another. Whether it is clothing, doing weird shit with their hair, or getting a big ol tittie job or something like that. Look at how many people have face tattoos now. you see that a lot. In the old days people with face tattoos wouldnt be let into tattoo conventions because

the press was there. We were trying not to give us a bad name, or a worser name. theres a nice southern word for you, worser. its really hard to imagine that someone would be turned away from a tattoo convention for having a face tattoo now. having a tattoo certainly doesnt close as many doors as it used to. you can get a job now. It used to be that you couldnt get a job if you had forearm tattoos. people like them, people are drawn to them, and they are drawn on them. Little kids want to get tattoos now because its what they see everywhere. it would have also been hard to imagine tattooing being the basis of a television show a while back, yet you recently appeared as a guest judge on Ink Master. tell us a bit about that. thats all Ive been talking about since that show came out! It was fun being on it. oliver worked for me 20 years ago and hes like one of my bastard sons. So it was a lot of fun doing it with him. other than that, those kids suck! there were so many people to choose from and theyve got those sucky-ass kids on there. tell us a little bit about the shop that you are about to open in tulsa. Weve been working on this place that used to be a massage parlor and whorehouse for years and years. Its been fun dealing with that, trying to build a place when people knock on the door wanting a rub and a tug. Its been there for so long that even when there are no signs on the windows anymore,

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Tattoo Arts Convention February 8th - 10th 2013

Philadelphia

Tattoo Arts Convention March 22nd - 24th 2013

Chicago

Tattoo Arts Convention April 5th - 7th 2013

Baltimore

Warship Olympia
Tattoo Convention May 10th - 12th 2013

VillainArts.com

Tattoo Arts Convention May 17th - 19th 2013

Louisville

inked scene | spot

From left: ben Volt, Michael bennett, Matt Matik, roxx.

2spiRit tattoo
11 pearl street san francisco, ca 415-701-8288 2spirittattoo.com

by lani buess portrait anD interior by brittany poWell

tattoo artist Roxx is comfortable in her own skin. the owner of 2Spirit tattoo has unabashedly loved blackworkstylized line and dot-work tattoos done only with black inkfor more than 20 years. Shes covered in the style, and proudly specializes in it. I was always very aware that I was doing this very uncool and unpopular type of tattoo work, she says of blackwork, which is reminiscent of tribal tattoos. Some other tattooers would sneer at it and make fun of it. I would just shrug it off and keep on trucking because I loved it then, I love it now, and will love it always. For Roxx, tattooing isnt simply

about slapping ink on a canvas of skin to create a pretty picture; its about appreciating the beauty of the human form. I think the human body is such a divine creation, she says. Its so interesting to study how humans have decorated themselves to celebrate themselves, mark themselves, label or identify themselves in whichever way, shape, or form tattoos have taken in various cultures. I continue to be inspired by the beauty of tattoos from the past. And its the human structurethe curvature of the body, the complex musculaturethat serves as the medium for her self-expres-

sion. She works with these shapes to make a tattoo flow organically with a persons physique. I am always trying to make a million micro-calculations as I work, deciding what is enhancing the body and what is hiding the form underneath, she says. I try to find a balance in between bothbetween adorning the body yet not covering up. Attaining inner balance and getting her artistic bearings have been motivational forces in Roxxs own life. In the 80s, she was hand-poking punk rockers in London, working as a motorcycle courier to pay for a prestige autoclave and a couple of Micky

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Tattoos, clockwise from above: Michael bennett; Matt Matik; bennett; roxx (2); ben Volt.

Sharpz machines. With an insatiable wanderlust, the self-taught artist jumped around a lot. She moved to Edinburgh and opened her own shop in 1993, then went on to Amsterdam, where she worked at what she calls some janky tourist shop. Next, she landed a gig at tattoo peter, one of Europes oldest tattoo shops, located in the heart of the red light district. hookers in windows on one side, weed shop on the other, she says of the experience that boosted her expertise the most. After getting burned out on doing purple dolphins and barbed wire, she opened another shop in 1998. her stint in

Amsterdam lasted 10 years, at which point she packed up her belongings and headed to tattoo heavenher name for San Franciscowhere she opened 2Spirit tattoo. As blackwork becomes more popular in the States (its already loved in Europe, she says), 2Spirit, whose entire staff Michael bennett, Matt Matik, and ben Voltcater to the style, is ready to meet the demand. but 2Spirit offers a far greater service than blackwork. As an openly gay-friendly custom studio, its a place where people from all walks of life can feel as confident in their skin as Roxx feels in her own. I think

sometimes queer folk have felt a little oppressed or intimidated in the traditional tattoo environment, says the artist. Some people like being tattooed by queer tattooers! Many like to support the community by supporting queer-owned businesses. I just want my shop to be a place where anyone can come and be treated with [the] respect they deserve as a human being on the planet. Fortunately, Roxx, who is gay, disclosed her sexual preference when she first began working in shops and never got much flak for being a lesbian in the tattoo industry. It never posed that much of a problem for

me, she says. I dont take any shit from homophobes or bigots. If anyone had an issue with my sexuality they never really said it to my face. I have been treated with respect by all the tattooers I have worked with and continue to be, she adds. Granted, there was a time when some male clients would walk the other way when approached by a female tattooer, but the timesand the tattoo industryare adapting. For when it comes to creating kickass art, the tattooers gender and sexuality shouldnt matter, says Roxx. I think the work should speak for itselfregardless of who did it.

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inked scene | profile

liz cook
visit: lizcooktattoo.com What tattoo artists have influenced your style the most? Johnny head, Guy Aitchison, Dean Cook, tom Renshaw, Nikko, DeVries, Roman all of these artists really represent the next level of tattooing, and it became a personal goal to get to that point. how would you describe your take on tattooing? I have a heavy saturation with a focus on contrasting color theoriesrealism with some rendered illustrative elements. pretty faces appear often as a theme for me, as I feel they really lend themselves to an understandable framework that works well for a multitude of other changing and developing artistic elements. as a woman, does it seem more difficult to gain recognition as a tattoo artist? I think there are so many good tattooers and artists that it is hard to gain recognition in the industry, regardless of whether youre male or female. you really have to not only be a good artist but you also have to be a good businessperson. It definitely comes down to networking and great teamwork. can you tell us about any memorably odd tattoos youve done? I did a portrait of my friend peter where he was making this really cut-up face. Every time I look at it I just cant help but laugh. When youre tattooing a pinup, do you focus on details that a male tattoo artist may not necessarily think about? I have a certain way I like features to look like, but I have noticed the same thing from both male and female artists. Do you have any tricks for executing a pinup? I find for realistic pinups they just cant be too small or the detail wont hold up as well.

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inked scene | shop talk

name: Stefania Cetta shop girl at: Wyld Chyld tattoo, Queens, Ny our shop in Whitestone [ny] is the most chill environment ever. Were constantly laughing and just having a blast. Not a day goes by that someone isnt in tears from laughter. Its a comfortable place to work, and definitely the most comfortable place Ive ever been tattooed. i absolutely love my job and I think its extremely rewarding. Ive seen some amazing work done by these artists. We really pride ourselves in taking the best possible care of everyone that walks through the door. Ive also made some awesome friends in my time at Wyld Chyldand since good friends are hard to come by, I find myself to be quite lucky to be surrounded by such amazing people. like any job, its not alWays peaches and cream and we all have off days, but no matter what, its all love. Im the only girl in the shop and I add my girly touch to the place, but basically Im one of the guys. the tattooers consider me to be a bro-chick.

Know a stellar shop assistant who keeps the autoclave humming and the tattoo stations organized? E-mail us at shopgirl@inkedmag.com.

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photo by LAUREN pERLStEIN

inked scene | eVents

exxxotica

Whats the largest event in the U.S. dedicated to sex? No, not a party at the playboy Mansion: Exxxotica. the festival of flesh brought out adult stars such as teagan presley, Charmaine Glock, Joanna Angel, and a cadre of burning Angels who showed off their ink to adoring fans.

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inked scene | eVents aRt of the assassin tk

Assassins Creed III and Rock the Vote teamed up for a traveling gallery featuring Ariel Erestingcol, Artek, DualForces, Mark Dean Veca, Racecar 13, Dora Drimalas, thank you X, and brian Flynn. At the New york City launch were tattoo tV stars Chris torres and James Vaughn.

tk

VICtoRIA WILL

giRls, giRls, giRls

bRIAN pARKS

taler Nichols curated the Girls, Girls, Girls showcaseart of women by kick-ass womenat the pretty pretty Collective in San Francisco. Every pretty thing from mermaids to blondie was displayed on the wall, and, well, a few pinups walked in on the arms of visitors.

FEbruary 2013 | 93

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inked scene | sketchbook

smoking tattoos, 18 st. Marks Place, new York, trashyyetclassy.tumblr.com As a child I was obsessed with my best friends grandfather because he was the only person I knew who had tattoos, Jes Irwin says. I eventually began playing tattoo parlor around the age of 8, where I would scrape my friends with an engraving pen and then draw on them with markers. Irwin was shop girl and then shop manager at three Kings tattoo in brooklyn before leaving to become a tattooer herself. these days she is honing her craft at Smoking tattoos, a walk-in shop with a lot of college-aged traffic, some celebrities, and a few freaks. the craziest story I have is when I tattooed a guys penis, she says. It hurts to even think about it. What should have taken 20 minutes took two and a half hours because he couldnt stay erect. the experience scarred me for life. 96 | INKEDMaG.COM

Jes iRWin

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